Structural Testing of Large-Scale Posttensioned Concrete Masonry Walls

Abstract

Two unbonded posttensioned concrete masonry (PCM) cantilever walls were subjected to in-plane pseudostatic simulated seismic loading in the Civil Test Hall at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. The 67% scale wall units were designed to model a typical cantilever wall from a 4–5 story high office or apartment building. A detailed account of the wall construction, test setup, testing procedure, and test results are provided in this paper. The principal intent of these wall tests was to validate the use of PCM in a realistic structural configuration. The test units, incorporating reinforced concrete slabs at the intermediate floor levels, were subjected to a realistic moment gradient. Furthermore, the tests explored means of masonry confinement or strengthening that are expected to allow for reliable drift capacities beyond 1%.